Observer States

Resolution CM/Res(2010)52
on the rules for the award of the “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” certification

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 8 December 2010
at the 1101st meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies)

The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 15.b of the Statute of the Council of Europe,

Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members and that this aim may be pursued through joint action in the cultural field;

Considering that the main aims of European cultural co-operation are to promote the European identity in its unity and its diversity; to preserve the diversity of Europe’s cultures; to encourage intercultural dialogue and to facilitate conflict prevention and reconciliation;

Considering that highlighting the influences, exchanges and developments which have formed the European identity can facilitate awareness of a European citizenship based on the sharing of common values;

Considering that it is essential for younger generations to acquire this awareness of a European identity and citizenship and the common values on which they are based;

Considering that in order to uphold these common values and make them more tangible, it is necessary to promote an understanding of Europe's history on the basis of its physical, intangible and natural heritage, so as to bring out the links which unite its various cultures and regions;

Noting that the identification of European values and a common European cultural heritage may be achieved via cultural routes tracing the history of peoples, migrations, and the spread of the major European currents of civilisation in the fields of philosophy, religion, culture, the arts, science, technology and trade;

Aware that such routes lend themselves to long-term European co-operation programmes in the fields of research, heritage enhancement, culture and the arts, cultural and educational youth exchanges, cultural tourism in Europe and sustainable cultural development;

Considering that such co-operation mobilises and brings together a large number of individuals, organisations, institutions and structures in Europe, and thereby contributes to the process of European construction;

Considering that in order to provide an intellectual and technical support to this co-operation, which requires considerable human and financial resources, a formal operational framework should be established enabling the reaffirmation of fundamental values, the qualitative and quantitative assessment of implementation, training of actors and a coherent communication;

Considering that such a framework enables common objectives to be pursued and guarantees the quality of the initiatives undertaken;

Adopts this resolution which annuls and replaces Resolution CM/Res(2007)12 on the cultural routes of the Council of Europe of 10 October 2007;

Adopts the rules for the award of the “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” certification which are appended to this resolution.

Appendix to Resolution CM/Res(2010)52

Rules

The certification “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe” may be granted to projects which deal with a theme that complies with the eligibility criteria in part I below, involve priority actions as indicated in part II and are presented by a single network meeting the criteria in part III.

I. List of eligibility criteria for themes

Themes must satisfy all of the following criteria:

1. the theme must be representative of European values and common to several countries of Europe;

2. the theme must be researched and developed by groups of multidisciplinary experts from different regions of Europe so as to ensure that the activities and projects which illustrate it are based on consensus;

3. the theme must be illustrative of European memory, history and heritage and contribute to an interpretation of the diversity of present-day Europe;

4. the theme must lend itself to cultural and educational exchanges for young people and hence be in line with the Council of Europe's ideas and concerns in these fields;

5. the theme must permit the development of initiatives and exemplary and innovative projects in the field of cultural tourism and sustainable cultural development;

6. the theme must lend itself to the development of tourist products in partnership with tourist agencies and operators aimed at different publics, including school groups.

II. List of priority fields of action

The projects must pertain to the following priority fields of action, while fulfilling the criteria enumerated below for each field of action:

1. Co-operation in research and development

In this field of action, the projects must:

- play a unifying role around major European themes, enabling dispersed knowledge to be brought together;

- show how these themes are representative of European values shared by several European cultures;

- illustrate the development of these values and the variety of forms they may take in Europe;

- lend themselves to research and interdisciplinary analysis on both a theoretical and a practical level.

2. Enhancement of memory, history and European heritage

In this field of action, the projects must:

- enhance physical and intangible heritages, explain their historical significance and highlight their similarities in the different regions of Europe;

- take account of and promote the charters, conventions, recommendations and work of the Council of Europe, UNESCO and ICOMOS relating to heritage restoration, protection and enhancement, landscape and spatial planning;

- identify and enhance European heritage sites and areas other than the monuments and sites generally exploited by tourism, in particular in rural areas, but also in industrial areas in the process of economic restructuring;

- take account of the physical and intangible heritage of ethnic or social minorities in Europe;

- contribute through appropriate training, to raising awareness among decision makers, practitioners and the general public of the complex concept of heritage, the necessity to protect, interpret and communicate it as a means for sustainable development, and the challenges and opportunities it represents for the future of Europe.

3. Cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans

In this field of action, the projects must:

- include the organisation of activities with groups of young people in order to promote in-depth exchanges aimed at developing the concept of European citizenship, enriched by its diversity;

- place the emphasis on personal and real experiences through the use of places and contacts;

- encourage decompartmentalisation by organising exchanges of young people from different social backgrounds and regions of Europe;

- constitute pilot schemes with a limited number of participating countries and be provided with sufficient resources for meaningful assessment in order to generate prototypes that can serve as reference models;

- give rise to co-operation activities which involve educational institutions at various levels.

4. Contemporary cultural and artistic practice

In this field of action, the projects must:

- give rise to debate and exchange, in a multidisciplinary and intercultural perspective, between the various cultural and artistic expressions and sensibilities of the different countries of Europe;

- encourage activities and artistic projects which explore the links between heritage and contemporary culture;

- highlight, in contemporary cultural and artistic practice, the most innovative practices in terms of creativity, and link them with the history of skills development, whether they belong to the field of the visual arts, the performing arts, creative crafts, architecture, music, literature or any other form of cultural expression;

- give rise to networks and activities which break down the barriers between professionals and
non-professionals, particularly as regards instruction for young Europeans in the relevant fields.

5. Cultural tourism and sustainable cultural development

In this field of action, the projects must:

- take account of local, regional, national and European identities;

- actively involve print and broadcast media and make full use of the potential of electronic media in order to raise awareness of the cultural objectives of the projects;

- promote dialogue between urban and rural cultures, between regions in the south, north, east and west of Europe, and between developed and disadvantaged regions;

- promote dialogue and understanding between majority and minority, native and immigrant cultures;

- open up possibilities for co-operation between Europe and other continents through the special affinities between certain regions;

- concern themselves, in the field of cultural tourism, with raising public awareness, drawing decision makers' attention to the necessity of protecting heritage as part of sustainable development of the territory and seek to diversify both supply and demand, with a view to fostering the development of quality tourism with a European dimension;

- seek partnerships with public and private organisations active in the field of tourism in order to develop tourist products and tools targeting all potential publics.

III. List of criteria for networks

Project initiators shall form multidisciplinary networks located in several Council of Europe member states. Such networks must:

- present a conceptual framework based on research carried out into the theme chosen and accepted by the different network partners;

- involve several Council of Europe member states through all or part of their project(s), without excluding activities of a bilateral nature;

- plan to involve as large a number as possible of States Parties to the European Cultural Convention
(ETS No. 18) as well as, where appropriate, other states;

- ensure that the projects proposed are financially and organisationally viable;

- have a legal status, either in the form of an association or a federation of associations;

- operate democratically.

In support of the presentation of their projects, networks must:

- offer a comprehensive programme and specify its objectives, methods, partners, participating countries (current and envisaged), the fields of action involved and the overall development of the programme in the medium and long term;

- identify, in the various member countries of the Council of Europe, the main initiators, participants and other potential partners likely to form a network; specify, where appropriate, at international level, other partner organisations;

- specify the regions concerned by the project;

- provide details of their financing and operational plan;

- append the basic text(s) relating to their legal status.

IV. Certification

1. The certification “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” is awarded by the Governing Board of the EPA which can, if necessary, seek advice from one or more expert consultants, and after consultation with the Steering Committee on Culture (CDCULT) and the Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage and Landscape (CDPATEP) and, should the Governing Board consider it necessary, other pertinent committees or bodies of the Council of Europe.

In case of negative opinion by the CDCULT or the CDPATEP, the agreement from the Committee of Ministers will be required for the award of the certification.

Projects and themes which help to achieve the Council of Europe political priority objectives are particularly encouraged.

2. Following the award of the certification, the entire mention “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” and the logo of the Council of Europe must be placed on all communication material, including press releases. A manual with recommendations (or vade mecum) will be provided to networks, in particular as concerns the road signposts.

Whenever possible, the certification accompanied by the Council of Europe logo must appear on road signs and boards indicating the cultural route.

3. Evaluation of networks responsible for projects having received the certification “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe”.

Networks must submit every three years a report enabling the Governing Board of the EPA to evaluate their activities in order to ascertain whether they continue to satisfy the criteria in parts I, II, III and IV.2 above.

If the Governing Board of the EPA finds the compliance with parts I, II, III and IV.2 above unsatisfactory it will issue a recommendation in order to ensure this compliance. If the recommendation is not followed within a year, the Governing Board of the EPA may withdraw the certification, after consultation with the CDCULT and the CDPATEP.

In case the CDCULT or the CDPATEP is of the opinion that the certification should not be withdrawn, the agreement from the Committee of Ministers will be required for the withdrawal of the certification.

Networks having received certification in accordance with Resolution CM/Res(2007)12 are subject to the evaluation procedure outlined in point IV.3 of this resolution.

The Governing Board of the EPA decides on the practical modalities of application of this resolution. It may adopt rules of procedure to this effect.